išt

The lexeme is attested in a number of inscriptions found in Sardis. LW 22 was excavated in the precinct of Artemis, while the others come from the cemetery.  LW 1 and LW 2 are usually dated to the first and second half of the 4^th century BCE respectively, while the other texts can be only dated more loosely, to either 5^th or 4^th century BCE.

[I.Y.]

The grammatical function of išt as a preposition was identified in Lidzbarski 1917a:125 on the basis of the Lydian and Aramaic bilingual. Lyd. išt in LW 1 corresponds to ‘l ‘on’ and l- ‘to’ in the Aramaic version of the same inscription. It is, however, noteworthy that the construction išt ešλ wãnaλ pλtarwod in LW 1 is apparently used in the same meaning as ešλ wãnaλ pλtarwod in LW 8. It stands to reason that the preposition išt is used in this phrase idiomatically, reinforcing the syntactic relationship between ešλ wãnaλ and pλtarwod, and therefore LW 1 represents no reliable guide for the general meaning of išt.

Lidzbarski (ibid.) proposed the translation ‘in Sardis’ for išt sfarλ in LW 22, and therefore concluded that the basic meaning of išt must be ‘in’. The same interpretation is tentatively accepted in Gusmani 1964a:136, while the more agnostic translation ‘in / from Sardis’ is entertained in Melchert 2006b:1164. The translation išt appears, however, to be less appropriate in LW 2, where the relevant sentence describes some positive action done with respect to the stele. Furthermore, the translation ‘with respect to’ appears to be a viable option in LW 22, where the relevant clauses probably refer to the status of the mλimna-group (scil. Mermnads) with respect to Sardis (Yakubovich 2017b). Other contexts are too obscure to provide a meaningful contribution to the semantic discussion.

From the syntactic perspective, it is worth observing that Lydian, tends to favour postpositions rather than prepositions, thus apparently continuing the trend of the Anatolian languages of the second millennium (cf. ẽn, dãν, wicν, lẽν). The preposition išt is likely to represent an innovation and, as such, is expected to have a nuanced meaning similar to that of denominal prepositions in English. The translation ‘with respect to’ fits into this picture, and so does the optional use of išt in the construction (išt) ešλ wãnaλ pλtarwod ‘the exterior (with respect) to this tomb’. The combinatory approach leaves, however, no doubt that we are indeed dealing with a preposition governing nouns in the dative-locative case. The divergent syntactic analysis of Vetter 1959a:39f., referred to in Gusmani 1964a, does not merit further consideration.   

[I.Y.]

No etymology possible.

[I.Y.]